Bavaria: Gerlach calls for emergency aid for hospitals

Bavaria
Gerlach calls for emergency aid for hospitals

09.09.2024, 09:12 a.m.

Inflation and wage increases are driving up costs. Before a meeting with Health Minister Lauterbach, the hospital association is demanding better remuneration – and is receiving support from Bavaria.

Munich (dpa/lby) – Bavaria's Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU) is calling for emergency aid for hospitals in Germany. “More and more hospitals are on the verge of being unable to survive due to high operating costs,” she told the German Press Agency in Munich. “The federal government can no longer stand idly by and watch hospitals in Germany die out.”

The federal government must take seriously the German Hospital Association's warning about restrictions in patient care in view of rising costs and growing deficits, stressed Gerlach.

“The financial situation of German hospitals is more serious than ever”

In view of rising costs and growing deficits, hospitals are warning of restrictions in patient care. “The financial situation of German hospitals is more serious than ever,” said the CEO of the German Hospital Association (DKG), Gerald Gaß, to the “Augsburger Allgemeine” newspaper before a meeting with Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) on hospital reform on Monday in Berlin. “Every second hospital is planning to tighten up its austerity measures, which sometimes affect areas relevant to care.”

From Gerlach's point of view, “the dire financial situation of many hospitals” is primarily due to “hugely increased operating costs, the financing of which is the sole responsibility of the federal government.” The minister supported the DKG's criticism of the hospital reform planned by the federal government and called for “significant improvements to the draft law.” They called Lauterbach's concept inadequate. This threatens “inadequate care, especially in some rural regions. This must be prevented.”

DKG boss Gaß had ordered the states to block the law in the Bundesrat and then to fundamentally improve it in a mediation process. An expert hearing in parliament is planned for September 25 on the hospital reform, which was introduced in the Bundestag before the summer break.